1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to IC sockets for holding IC packages.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A conventional IC socket 1′ for testing an IC package is shown in FIGS. 8 to 11. The IC socket 1′ includes an insulative socket body 10′ defining a substantially rectangular receiving region with a plurality of terminals (not shown) assembled therein, for electrically engaging with the IC package (not shown) placed onto the receiving region of the socket body 10′. A press cover 11′ is pivotally mounted to and rotatable about an end of the insulative socket body 10′, with a latching element 112′ formed on a free end of the press cover 11′ for engaging with a tongue 1041′ formed on an opposite end of the insulative socket body 10′ so as to effectively produce a large pressing force exerted against the IC package of the IC socket 1′ when the IC socket is placed on a closed position. Thus, a reliable electrical connection between the IC package and the IC socket 1′ is formed by tightly engagement of the latching element 112′ of the press cover 11′ and the tongue 1041′ of the insulative socket body 10′. It is well-known that, if there are more terminals assembled in the IC socket 1′, much more large pressing force is needed to be exerted on the IC package of the IC socket to assure such a reliable electrical connection between the IC package and the IC socket. In other words, the pressing force exerted on the IC package is at least proportional to a total reaction force created by the terminals.
A problem with the above IC socket 1′ is that, the latching element 112′, generally made of insulative material, tends to be damaged with the increasingly number of the terminals. That is because when the number of the terminals increases, much more pressing force is required to be exerted on the IC package, which has an adversely action on the latching element 112′ of the press cover 11′, thereby causing the latching element 112′ loosely or no longer tightly engage with the tongue 1041′ of the insulative socket body 10′ due to no bearing of the adversely action of much more pressing force. Thus, less reliable electrical connection is formed between the IC package and the IC socket.
Next, for better illustration of relationship between the number of the terminals and the damage of the latching element 112′, equation (1)′ is obtained by a vertical balance Y′ of the respective forces F1′, FC′ and FL′, and equation (2)′ is obtained by a torque balance of the respective forces F1′, FC′ and FL′ at point B′:FC′=F1′+FL′  (1)′F1′×L1′=FC′×L1′/2  (2)′wherein FC′ denotes a reaction force created by a total number of terminals, associated with the pressing force exerted against the IC package; F1′ denotes a force acting on the press cover 11′ from the insulative socket body 10′ at point A′ where the press cover 11′ is pivotally mounted to the insulative socket body 10′; FL′ denotes a force acting on the latching element 112′ from the insulative socket body 10′ at point B′ where the latching element 112′ engages with the insulative socket body 10′; L1′ denotes a horizontal distance between point A′ and point B′.
Accordingly, a correlation characteristic of the force F1′ and the force FC′ can be obtained by equation (2)′:F1′=FC′/2  (3)′
By substituting the equation (3)′ into the equation (1)′, equation (4)′ representing a correlation characteristic of the force FL′ and the force FC′ can be obtained:FL′=FC′/2  (4)′
Thus, from the equation (4)′, the force FL′ acting on the latching element 112′ is equal to half of the force FC′ created by the total terminals. This indicates that the force FL′ will proportionally grow with the force FC′ associated with the number of terminals. Therefore, when the number of terminals increases, the proportionally-increased force FL′ will result in the damage of the latching element 112′.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a new IC socket which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantage.